Why Do We Do What We Do?

“And they that know your name will put their trust in you; for you Lord have not forsaken them that seek you.” – Psalm 9:10

We constantly fight from victory and it’s that stance that allows us to remain victors and not victims by the grace of our Lord.

In our last update we mentioned that we were booted out of our usual Beats and Books meeting place. We relentlessly pursued the “in-charge” of the little hall and finally our battle culminated into a stakeholders’ meeting. With three other programs represented, Beats and Books was again under intense fire of unsolicited ambiguous disfavor. It was so immense I could sense an apparition in the room that most assuredly was stirring my colleagues from one of the represented organizations. “Why would anybody be so against us,” I asked myself. Then I recalled, when you partner with the Lord in redeeming His creation, principalities begin to rage against you. We do not fight flesh and blood.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12

Two weeks later, we are smiling, ear to ear. The rewards of knowing God and believing that He is able to do what He said He will do are immeasurable and so fulfilling.

“Why do we do what we do?” As silly and as unwarranted that question may seem, I felt the necessity to ask myself (Cornie) and my wife. Yes it’s enshrined in our vision, mission and objectives, but we needed some introspection – some re-conviction and assurance that what we are doing is God-ordained and not just our whimsical ideas so ethereal and quickly diminishing. Yet today we could dine with our kindred at heart and spirit, and look at the canvas God has laid before us. Each one of us stroking the colorful, intentionally dipped brushed, and paint away as if there is no noise in the background. With purpose intrinsic to our very existence and our calling, no wonder we cannot give up when little foxes begin to attack the vineyard.

We are thrilled to experience worshiping our Lord with Shaun (12 years old) on the guitar almost two-thirds his body-size, and Sima (14 years old) on the keyboard playing those keys swiftly like a pro at celebration where they were so unfamiliar to the people around them. Yet, I felt they could sense that they were one with the fellowship because we are the Body of Christ and they led our worship session this Sunday with a friend of ours. A Beats and Books initiative is to develop young musicians with a passion for worship.

Our hearts are full when we see Malik grasping basic arithmetic concepts and solving several problems instantly like a Math-maniac.

Oh what delight when we hear the sounds of children trying out their first well-read words as a result of being introduced to phonics. It’s a totally new world to a child when they begin to read.

What about that feeling of humility when a child’s attitude and behavior corrects and the following days he’s the one confronting his friends about wrong behavior and keeping order?

Over the past few months, we have seen a rising interest in our ministry by locals. Besides Charne and Elizna teaching English and Math, we have had young volunteers coming from the Global Leadership Academy coming to serve alongside. It has been timely to receive such encouraging participation. For two hours every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,we assist 20 to 30 kids, with Math, English and music. There are only a few days when it’s just my wife and I reaching out to the kids.

Beats and Books is growing. It’s in metamorphosis. We are embracing every growth opportunity as time revolves. Just like our children, we are developing from caterpillars to butterflies. God isn’t finished with us yet. We see beauty in every season, even when it’s hard to have set apart time for family. There is always something to do with others in our community, but we are learning to prioritize and also be okay with saying “no” to good things so that we can grow us too; i.e. to spend time with each other and with the Lord in the quiet place. To that effect, we are glad to have a House Church that is able to hold us accountable. We are also thankful for any time we can have prayer and fellowship with our friends and family in the United States. You have no idea how we feel spurred on when we receive a hi from you. We want to maintain relationships beyond our visits stateside.

All in all, we are rejuvenated and so full of hope for this season. We feel empowered to continue going strong. We invite you to trust in the Lord for whatever you may be going through. We also invite you to connect with us and trust with us for miracles. Our biggest need at the moment is to get the books and some computers plus music equipment shipped to South Africa. Check back soon to read in detail about the current state of the Library Dreams Project. We want to know your needs as well. We always want to be a blessing to others and not a burden. Email us via info@beatsandbooks.org or find us on Facebook. We would like to keep in touch.

Our greatest needs are spiritual and financial as we continue to serve LXP, South Africa, through the outreach ministry, Beats and Books. Please pray for us anytime God places us on your hearts. The journey is not easy, but it’s worth it. If you feel led to contribute financially, please share a one-time or monthly donation to help us on a personal level. Checks can be mailed to Grace Klein Community, 1678 Montgomery Hwy #104, Birmingham, AL 35216 OR donate online HERE. Please write “Ngosa’s” on the memo line.

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